Method and means for regulating fuel



March 18,-.1930.

C. L. STOKES METHOD AND MEANS FOR REGULATING FUEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12. 1923 INVENTOR. mzm

March 18, 1930. c L. STOKES 1,750,766

METHOD-AND MEANS FOR REGULATING FUEL Filed June 12. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

MXM

Match 18, 1930. c S O I 1,750,766

METHOD AND MEANS FOR REGULATING FUEL Filed June 12, 1923- 'SSheet-Sheet s IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES L. STOKES, OF LOS ANGEL-ES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO CURTTS B. CAMP,

' I TRUSTEE, OF GLENCOE, ILLINOIS METHOD AND MEANS FOR REGULATING FUEL Applicationfiled June 12,

My invention relates to improvements in automatic carbureting apparatus wherein the operation of priming an internal Combustion engine and then cutting off the priming mixture is automatically controlled.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a carburetor wherein the carburetor is automatically primed, and the rate of fuel fed thereto governed.

A further object of my invention is to provide' automatic priming means whereby a very rich mixture is first fed to the engine for starting, then reduced to a rich mixture until the engine warms up whereupon the priming mixture is automatically cut out, or reduced to that required for normally supplying the engine at a given temperature. 7

Another object is to provide improved automatic accelerating means to work in cooperation with the automatic priming means.

Another object is to embody the automatic priming and accelerating means in a carburetor as a unit. a

Another object is to provide automatic fuel regulation for all conditions of engine operation which regulation is governed by the manifold vacuum and temperature of the engine. More specifically stated, the regulation is regulation of increasing and decreasing richness of the. mixture by and in accordance with the vacuumin the intake manifold above the throttle conjointly and interdependently with regulation by and in accordance with the temperature of the out-- going jacket water from the engine.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers indicate the same parts Fig.1 is a vertical view and part section of a carburetor co-ordinating with automatic priming and accelerating means.

Fig. 2 is a vertical view and part section of the carburetor attached to aninternal combustion engine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical view and part section of the automatic priming and accelerating,

means attached to any carburetor.

Fig. 4 shows a vertical view and part section of a preferred modification.

Fig. 5-shows a view and part section of 1923. Serial no. 644,923.

the modification shown in Fig. 4 as applied to an engine.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of part of F 1g. 4.

Fig. 7 is a View along the lines 7-7 of Fig. 4.

With reference to the drawings 1 is the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine to which is attached a carburetor 2 having a choke throat 3, a throttle valve 4, a feed nozzle 5, a float chamber 6, a fuel needle valve 7, a passage 8 connecting the float chamber 6 with 5 and a by-pass 9.

A pipe 10 fits into the carburetor at one end on the engine side of throttle 4 and at the other end is connected to a casing 11 which contains a pressure responsive element 12. The element-12 is held securely at one end in casing 11 by a lock nut 13. The element 12 has a plunger rod 14 fastened to its other end adapted to be guided centrally and having on one end thereof a pump disc 15 on top of which is a check valve 16 coo crating with holes 17 in the disc to control tiie passage of fuel therethrough.

Disc 15 is so constructed as to move freely in a casing 18, the lower part thereof being connected by a pipe 19 to the float chamber 6. The passage of liquid fuel therethrough is governed by a check valve 20 adapted to close a port 21. The upper part of 18 is connected by a passage 22 into by-pass 9.

A priming pipe 23 is also connected on the engine side of throttle 4, one end 24 of which is open to atmosphere and has connected thereto a pipe 25 for the purpose of withdrawing waste vapors from a vacuum tank such as is described in my copending application, S. N. 626,990, filed March 22, 1923. The entrance of pipe 23 into carburetor 2 is regulated by the size of an orifice 26 and fuel is fed into pipe 23 from by-pass9 and governed by the size of an orifice 27. The amount of air which may be fed through pipe 23 may be governed by a port 28 through the center of plunger rod discharge thereof from casing 18 into bypass 9 is regulated by the size of orifice 31 at the end of passage 22.

The interior of element 12 is connected by a pipe 33. to a thermostatic bulb 34 fixed in the water jacket 35 of an internal combustion engine 36 to which manifold 1 and carburetor 2 are attached.

The operation of my device, as already described Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows:

If it is assumed that engine 36 is still at a normal temperature,- say about 50 F. the position of my priming device will be about as shown in Fig. 1, wherein port 28 would be out of register with pipe 24, and consequently upon cranking engine 36 in order to start the same, throttle 4 being closed, a high vacuum results immediately, being applied through orifice 26 to pipe 23 and orifice 27 whereupon a jet of gasoline will be drawn from by-pass 9 into the engine.

It is understood that throttle 4 controls the mixture of air and gasoline passing into engine 36 through manifold 1, the gasoline in part being supplied through nozzle 5 and the air through 37. Float chamber 6 constitutes a liquid fuel supply for the carburetor 2 and liquid fuel is fed to chamber 6 from the vacuum tank, or by pressure, or by other means well known in the art. Many equivalents of chamber 6 are known and may be substituted therefor, provided an adequate source of liquid fuel supply is available to feed the carburetor 2.

At this time the same vacuum is applied to the interior of casing 11 thus causing the expansion of element 12 downwardly causing the solid stream of gasoline which is drawn through orifice 27 to be reduced in volume owing to the fact that port 28 becomes partly open through registry with the inter or of pipe 23 allowing an ingress of air which causes a reduction of vacuum applied to orifice 27. At the same time the downward expansion of element 12 causes disc 15 to be thrust further into the gasoline standing below the liquid level AA in casing 18 and causes valve 20 to close, thus forcing gasoline through openings 17 to the upper side ofdisc 15. a

By making disc 15 nearly the diameter of casing 18, it will be seen that a dash pot effect ensues by means of which the speed of plunger 14 with opening 28 may be regulated in accordance with any desired result for a particular engine. A similar effect can produced by making disc 15 of a different diameter and regulating the size of holes 17.

A uick opening of valve 28 istherefore provided for whereby the richness of the mixture supplied through orifice 26 is suddenly reduced, or a delayed opening of valve 28 can be assured for prolonging the supply of a rich mixture through orifice 26. In this connection it will be noted that the shape of port 28 is such as to give an increasing effective area for the passage of air as plunger 14 moves downwardly, 14 being shaped to form a cone-like cross section at 28, and. in this manner also the richness of the mixture supplied through orifice 26 may be regulated.

The engine having received a very rich mixture is thereby started. The richness of the mixture immediately is reduced to that required according to the temperature of the motor upon the decrease of pressure in casing 11. If it is assumed that the engine continues to idle the heating of the water in 35 will cause the expansion of a suitable liquid enclosed in bulb 34 whereon the vapor pressure of said liquid will cause a further movement of element 12 and cause a reduction in the fuel supplied through. orifice 27 by the further opening of valve 28. Thus an automatic regulation for starting and idling purposes may be supplied through unitary means.

Upon an increase in speed, by the opening of throttle 4, the vacuum applied to orifice 26 will decrease while that applied to the upper part of nozzle 5 will increase whereu on a diminished fuel feed will result throng orifice 26 and fuel will commence to feed through nozzle 5, the amount being fed through the nozzle, being governed by needle valve 7 which controls the entrance of liquid fuel from fuel chamber 6 into passage 8.

If it is assumed that the engine is moving slowly under closed throttle and it is desired to suddenly accelerate the engine, upon opening throttle 4 to its fullest extent the vacuum in casing 11 applied to element 12 will suddenly diminish causing element 12 to con-v tract suddenly, thereby causing the fuel on the upper part of disc 15 to be suddenly ejected through orifice 31 into by-pass 9 and thence through nozzle 5, orifices 27 and 26, into mixing chamber of carburetor 2. Thus an accelerating charge will be automatically supplied to the engine which will give it an unusual flexibility.-

If the engine is going at high speed, or at full load with wide open throttle, the vacuum on the upper end of nozzle 5 will exceed the vacuum applied through orifice 26, therefore, by suitably arranging the sizes of orifice 26, 27 and 31, it may be so arranged that at any predetermined engine speed, fuel will be supplied to nozzle 5 through passage 8 and orifice 31 because the suction applied to the upper end of nozzle 5 at that speed will be sufficient to shut off the supply of fuel through orifice 27 and draw air therethrough into bypass 9, thus feeding an emulsion of air and liquid fuel to the engine through 5. This is important because the apparatus may be applied to carburetors for giving a correct mixture at all different spee s.

ing therethrough.

jects into 40 and is connected interiorly with air holes therein, for the purpose of regu;

needle valve *7, may be termed the high speed adjustment.

The liquid contained in bulb 34 may be liquid sulphur dioxide, casing head gasoline, or any liquid suitable for use in thermostatic apparatus or similar design and tube 33 may be a capillary tube.

In Fig. 3 here shown the application of my priming and accelerating device to a carburetor 2 which may have any other means of fuel regulation apart from the design as shown in Fi 1, and I accomplish this by simply detaching by-pass 9 from passage 8 and coupling the same direct to assage 22 without the intervention of orifice 31. In this manner priming, idling, and accelerating may be accomplished, or I may eliminate the idling feature, and attach my apparatus to any well-known make of carburetor. 9

In Figs. 4, 5, 6,-and 7, I illustrate a preferred modification wherein similar instrumentalities as described are changed to procure a better effect.- A fittin 40 is inserted through the wall ofthe mixing chamber of carburetor'2 and ha's'an end pro ecting therein containing a relatively large central orifice 41 and a number of smaller orifices 42 for the purpose of aidin in atomizing fuel passsecond fitting 38 propassage 23, and with passage 22 through a nozzle 43. Air regulating valve 29 is also connected to, fitting 38 and a guide pipe 39 effectively directs liquid fuel from nozzle 43, as well as air from assage 23 and valve 29, to be atomized and passed to the engine through orifice 41 and 42.

Within the element 12 is placed a water well 44, held on cover 11* by a lock nut 45.

of 44 is tightly closed by a plug 46 The to li which a water inlet ipe 47 and a throug water outlet 48 asses. The e ement 12 may be supplied wit an of the volatile liquids already mentioned or generating pressure, or may be filled with'gas, or with air.

The end of the inlet pipe 47 is connected to the water jacket 35 and has its inner end turned to receive water under the pressure by which it is circulated through water jack- .et 35 by the water pump 49. The end of water inlet 48 is placed to oin the water system on the suction side 0 pump 49 and has its innerend turned to discharge water from 44 conformably with the stream of water being drawn into the pump. In this manner the tem erature of the engine is transferred to e ement 12 for partly and relatively governing its movements.

The time for causing a movement of element 12 may also be governed by the size of passage 10, and at times have foj un d va-ntageous to place in 10 a QhCQkVflIYGWhICh has only a very small opening therethrough when high vacuum is applied to"10, but which is fully opened when low vacuum applied to 10.

' Also 'at times it is advantageous to place a check valve in passage 22in order to permit v a one-way flow of liquid fuel from casing 18 to theengine, but allsuch accessories wil be apparent to those skilled in the art. s It will thus be seen that by simple and automatic means, I am enabled to supply the engine with a sufiiciently rich mixture of gasoline to not only start the same but con tinue the same in operation and govern the amount of fuel fed thereto in correct roportions according to the temperature 0 the engine. Furthermore, I am enabled to not Only start an enginebut I am enabled to take a motor car'in which the engine may be started and immediately get under way with the same without any delay, whether acceleration be immediately required (Sr/not.

The present common arrangements of starting an engine is to cut off the supply of air thereto, whereby a very, rich mixture is drawn through the carburetor nozzle, but this method is open toe great many objections because at times the mixture fed'to the engine is too rich to startand at other times. is too lean to start,but in either case, during very cold weather, the choker has to be manipulated by hand giting very unsatisfactory results especially if trafiic is heavy, or it is desired to move rapidly. In. additionto this crank case dilution takes place and by sine, reducing the amount of excess fuelzsudenly and then radually after the engine is j started, and fee ing an excessoffuel to the engine upon the reduction of vacuum applied to the ressure responsiveelement- 2. T a combination with an internalcombusti'on engine, of a manifold, a-carburetor attachedsto said manifold, a liquid fuel cham ber, means to feed liquid fuel from Said a chamber to said carburetor,-a casing attached to said carburetor,and means controlled conjointly by and in accordance with both the vacuum and temperature'of theiengine for automatically supplying the engine with (BX-1; cess fuel through said'casing forstarting and;'

accelerating.

3. An internal-combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, acarburetor attached to the manifold, a liquid fuel 'cham-' fuel for starting and accelerating; said means including a pipe for feeding fuel to the manifold and a thermostatic connection to the water jacket. 7

4. An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel and air to the carburetor, in combination with means for supplying excess fuel; said means including a valve and a pressure responsive device for operating it and means for applying to the latter pressures derived from the intake between the throttle and the'engine and pressures varying by and in accordance with internal temperatures of the engine.

5. 'An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold,'a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel and air to the carburetor, in combination with means for supplying excess fuel; said means including a valve and a pressure responsive device for operating it and means for separately but simultaneously applying to the latter" pressures derived from the intake between the throttle and the engine and pressures varying by and in accordance with internal temperatures of the engine.

6. An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel, and air to the carburetor, in combination with means for supplying excess fuel; said means including a valve and a pressure responsive device for operating it and means for applying to the latter pressures varied by and in accordance with the vacuum in the intake, between thethrottle and the engine, and by and in accordance with internal temperatures of the engine. 1

7. An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel and air to the carburetor, in combination with means for supplying excess fuel to the carburetor mixture ;'said means including'a valve and a pressure responsive device for operating it, means for operating the latter by a plying varying vacuum thereto,- and means or automatically varying the sup ply of said air in accordance with the movement of said pressure device.

8. An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel ,and air to the carburetor,

in combination with means for supplying excess fuel to the carburetor mixture; said means including a valve and a pressure responsive'bellows device for operating 1t and vacuum pressures derived excess fuel to the carburetor mixture; said means including a valve and a pressure responsive device for operating it and means for operating the latter by applying varying vacuum pressures derived from the intake between the throttle and the engine and also pressures varying by and in accordance with internal temperatures of the engine.

10. An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel and air to the carburetor, in combination with means for supplying excess fuel to the carburetor mixture; said means including a valve and a pressure responsive device for operating it and means for operating the latter by ,a plying varying rom the intake between the throttle and the engine and also pressures varying by and in accordance with internal temperatures of the engine, the vacuum pressures being applied externally and the temperature pressures internally of the pressure responsive device.

11. An internal combustion engine'having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel and air to the carburetor,

in combination with means for supplyingthe intake above the throttle, a valve for variably cutting off, the supplemental air and means for opening said valve by and in accordance wlth suction applied from the intake manifold conjointly with pressures varying by and in accordance with internal-temperatures of the engine.

13. An internal combustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor attached to the manifold, and means for supplying liquid fuel and air to'the carburetor,

in combination with means for supplying -c0rdance with suction applied a pp y g' throttle 1s closed, and for supplyingla mix-Y en said excess fuel, said means including a supplemental air and fuel injector discharging into the intake above the throttle, a valve for variably cutting off the supplemental air and means for o ening said valve by and" in accordance witli suction applied from the intake manifold conjointly with pressures varying by and in accordance with internal tem ratures of the engine, said means inclu ,apressure res nsive device.

14. An internal com ustion engine having a water jacket, a manifold, a carburetor atvarying by and in accordance with internal tern ratures of the engine, said means inclu ing a pressure responsive device having the suction and pressure applied, one externally and the other internally, to operate.

the pressure nsivedevice either conjointly or differentially, according to conditions.

15. The method .of varying the richness of the pr imary\mi xture supplied to an in-.

ternal combustionengine, which method consists in applying pressures derived from and corresponding tothe vacuum in the intake manifold and separately therefrom pressures derived from and corresponding to temperatures of the engine to act conjointly or differentially according to conditions, to pro-' duce corresponding varied resultant motionssaid rcsultantmotion to control appropriately varied supplies of excess fuel to the pri- 16. In-"oombination, amanifold, a carburetor'comprisiiig a nozzle, a throttle, means for supplying liquid fuel to said nozzle when ing richness to said manifold to meet the different engine" requirements, said means oomprisin a pressure responsive element controlle by the combined action of the pres sures derived from the suction and heat of.

the engine. I

19. A carburetor for internal combustion engines comprising a mixing chamber, means including a thermostatic element for su plying an explosive mixture of varying ric ess to said mixing chamber to meet varying en'- gine requirements, said element being responsiv'e to the resultant action ofchanges in temperature and engine suction.

Signed at Wilmington, in the county of Los An eles, and State of California, this 4 day of une, A. D. 1923.

- CHARLES L. S TOKES.

' of a pressure responsive element and utilizing I said; throttle is open, and auxiliary means for fuel 'to'said manifold when said ture of fuel and air to said nozzle w throttle is open. 7 e a 17. In an internal combustion engine, an

intake manifold,,a throttlei'n said manifold,

lying anexplosive mix-- 'j d, auxiliary means for. is supplying fuel to said manifold independa carburetor for su to said manifo antltipf said carburetor, and means operated 1' engine and by the heat derived from the engine explosions for controlling the operation of said auxiliary means.

18. In combination, an

anjntake manifold means g for supply ng an explosive of very combined action of the'suctio'n' of the 

